Pokemon: Nuzlockien Brethren
by Hakima
Summary: When Red Ketchum and Blue Oak set out on a journey, they make it real. The two travel, thwarting Team Rocket, gathering badges, and striving to be the best. But tragedies comes with being the best, pokemon die along the way, and even a few people. Will Red and Blue be able to continue?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Don't fret about Pokemon Adventure, the next chapter is ready. But, I'm editing. It is over ten-thousand words! I might split it up, I dunno. Now, on to business. This is a documentation of my nuzlocke run on Leaf Green. Don't like, don't read.

* * *

Red groaned, slamming his fist down on the alarm-clock. 'Fourteen. Today, I'm finally old enough to set out on my journey. Wait... I can leave today!' The soon-to-be trainer leaped up, his raven hair unkempt, sticking out in all directions.

Red quickly got dressed, trading the worn out shirt, messy hair, and baggy pajama bottoms for something much more suitable. His hair was now pinned to his head by the 'Pokemon League' cap, and a black t-shirt, a loose crimson and cream jacket, dark black jeans, and sneakers completed his attire.

Red was ready to bolt, coal black eyes seeming to glow with anticipation, but something stopped him. This would probably be the last time in years he stayed in _his_ room, greet _his_ Mom as soon as he got up, that would all be gone. Traded for a life on the road, constantly meeting new people, never settling down... Was it all worth it?

"Red, you're going to be late if you don't hurry." The voice of his Mom shook the trainer back to reality, and grabbing his backpack, he bolted out of his bedroom. As he descended the stairs, he noticed it was awfully quiet. His Mom always had breakfast ready when he came down, and his sister would always be sitting at the table saying he overslept. But no one was there, all the lights were off. "Mom can't be asleep, she just yelled for me..."

As Red placed his bag on the ground, ready to tear the house apart, the lights flickered to life, shocking him. "Surprise!" Several figures emerged from various places, his best friend Blue, his little sister Leaf, his mother, and Professor Oak.

"Sorry for giving you such a scare, sweetie, but today's the day you and Blue set out! We had to do something special. And what better than a surprise party?" His Mother laughed, red hair falling to her shoulders.

"I-I... Thanks Mom, you too Leaf, since I know you played a part in it." Red smiled, Leaf nodded cheekily, eyes glowing from beneath the rims of her glasses.

"Hey, Ash, don't forget to give me some credit." Blue feigned insult, and Red smiled at the use of the nickname. Ash was an alternate version of Red, the two had invented on a rainy day. It stuck as a nickname, just like Blue had Gary.

The party went on until late that evening, and would have continued, if Professor Oak hadn't pulled out a briefcase containing three poke-balls. "Red, Blue, I was once a trainer myself, now-a-days I only have these three pokemon left. I'm giving one of them to each of you, choose wisely."

Red looked at Blue, who bowed in a goofy fashion. "Ladies first." Red growled, picking up a pillow from the couch and hitting Blue in the face, knocking him to the floor. Blue laughed, and with a smile, Red approached the suitcase. The first poke-ball had a leaf on it, the second a bubble, and the third a wisp of flames.

"Flames are unstoppable, burning down everything in their path." Red mumbled, and picked up the poke-ball with the flame on it. Clicking the button, red released a small, orange lizard like creature. It was short, only up to his hip, and its stomach was a creamy pale color. it short tail swung back and forth slowly, fire blazing on it like a torch.

"Hello, I'm Steven. Are you my trainer? You must be. We are going to have lots of fun. My favorite food is poke-chow, my favorite show is-" The creature stopped as Professor Oak clapped a hand over its mouth. "Steven is a handful, but he is one of the few remaining Charmanders, and has the potential to be very powerful. So, this will be your partner Red?"

Red stood flabbergasted, overwhelmed by the rambling pokemon. Slowly coming to his senses, he nodded, ignoring Blue's laughter in the background.

"Hey Steven, I'm Red. Are you ready to start an adventure?" Red had kneeled down, to be eye-level with Steven.

"Yes, sir, I am." Steven responded, trying to hold back his excitement, and failing. "Red. Call me Red." Steven nodded.

"I'm hungry," Steven complained. Red sighed. "Don't worry sweetie, Leaf and I will feed him. Be right back." His Mom lead Steven out of the room, quickly followed by Leaf, who was taking notes studiously.

"Gramps, it's my turn." Blue piped up, eager to choose his partner. He had already been delayed by two months, as he had wanted to leave with Red, who couldn't at the time.

"Yes, yes, very well. Choose your pokemon, Blue." Professor Oak pushed the remaining two poke-balls towards Blue. Blue examined them, before shooting Red and taunting smile, and taking the water-type. With the click of the button, a blue skinned turtle appeared, a reddish-brown shell covering his back, a swirly tail swishing through the air.

"Yo, I'm Mikey. You ready to kick some ass?" Blue laughed, Red paled. "Of course, Gary gets the awesome one."

"Yeah Mikey, I sure am." Blue gave Mikey the requested knuckle bump, and then turned to Red. "Ash, lets have a battle!"

Red deadpanned. "Steven isn't even here."

"Yes I am!" Came the muffled reply of Steven, his cheeks stuffed with food. "Lets do it, si-I mean Red!" Red paused. "Fine..."

"Mikey, lets beat 'em!" Mikey slid forward, as Steven clumsily charged. "Tackle Mikey!" Mikey moved forward, easily bouncing the horribly aimed scratch off his shell, and taking Steven to the ground.

"Steven, hang in there. Use...uh... Scratch!" Steven growled, slamming hist claws across the exposed face of Mikey!

"Mikey, back up!" Mikey leaped back, landing on the edge of the catch. "Now jump, and use tackle towards Steven as you fall!" Mikey leaped, nearing the ceiling, which was rather low, and retreating into his shell mid-air. He fell motionlessly, right at Steven.

"Steven, move!" The Charmander barely slid out of the way, Mikey hitting the ground and ripping the carpet to shreds. Neither trainer noticed.

"Scratch Steven!" Steven charged, and Mikey barely manged to duck, the Charmanders claws tearing a large gash in the side of the wall. "Mikey, tackle now!" Mikey once again hit Steven while he was unaware, taking him to the ground.

"Steven, scratch! Do it now!" Steven's claws extended to a much longer degree then before, slamming into Mikey, and knocking him through the wall.

"Critical hit..." Both boys echoed, in awe.

As Blue rushed and helped a grumbling Mikey up, Red cheered. That is, until Leaf, his Mom, and Professor Oak who had taken a walk to grab something, arrived back in...

"Red Jacen Ketchum! Blue Mathews Oak! What do you think you are doing?" Blue grinned sheepishly, a glowering Mikey beside him, as Steven tried not to laugh at the loo of shame on Red's face.

"Sorry Mom."

"Sorry Mrs. Ketchum..."

"As you should be. To your rooms!" Red stormed up the stairs, Steven following behind. When Red slammed the door, the walls shook.

Blue lead Mikey up the stairs, to the guest bedroom, which he basically considered his second joke.

"Children..." Professor Oak mumbled.

* * *

A/N: I enjoyed writing this too much. I portrayed Red and Blue more as friends, sue me.

As always, read and review!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Shattup.~ Mikey.

* * *

"This is all your fault, Ash." Blue mumbled. Mikey crossed his small arms, nodding in agreement.

"You're just jealous because I won, Gary." Red was leaned back on the bed, legs dangling over the edge. "Now, did you come here just to complain? If so, you can go back to the guest room." Steven laughed, swinging his tail wildly. "Steven, be careful. I don't want my room to catch on fire." The reptilian pokemon blushed, wrapping his tail lightly around his body.

"Shattup. You only beat me 'cause I let you." Mikey growled, thumping Steven across the head. Blue snickered. "Seriously though, we need to convince your Mom to let us leave soon." Blue solemnly looked at the window. "Or..."

"You aren't thinking what I'm thinking, are you?" Red asked, anger evaporating, although Steven still looked slightly irritated, and his forehead had a strange paw imprint on it...

"Yes, yes I am." Steven looked nervously at Mikey as their trainers spoke, Mikey shot a trickle of water at him, which he ducked. Some sort of instinct took over Steve, and he hissed, tackling Mikey to the floor. The two engaged in a slap-fight.

"Hey, break it up!" Red and Blue rushed over, pulling their pokemon apart. Red's hat went flying, blown away by a blast of water. "Put that damn lizard down, Imma put 'is flame out!"

Steven leaped out of his trainers arms, narrowly avoiding another jet of water, which knocked Red to the ground.

"Mikey, stop. Now." Blue's voice held a contained amount of anger, something very few ever witnessed. It was hard to truly anger any of the Oaks, but when you did... Mikey froze, falling still in Blue's arms. "Ash, are you okay?"

Red slowly climbed to his feet, nodding. He was soaked from head to toe, his cap was drenched, and Steven was looking at him worriedly, but he was fine. "Sir, let me help."

Steven snatched the hat out of Red's hands before he could react, and showered it in small flames. Red yelled. "Steven, stop!" The hat had been the last thing his father gave him, all those years ago, before he went journeying again. And never came back.

* * *

"Delia, children will be children. They just received their pokemon! I can remember a time when a group of kids had just gotten their pokemon as well... You all got pretty rowdy." Samuel Oak was trying to talk sense into Delia, but she wasn't listening.

"Gray, Silver, Kyra and I were never like this!" Delia argued, though even she knew it was a lie.

"On his eighteenth birthday, you and Silver decided to relax with a nice ride on Dragonite, and ended up destroying my lab." Delia blushed at the memory, but pain soon replaced the joy she felt. "Delia, I know why you are stalling. Red won't disappear like Silver did, he will come back." Samuel smiled reassuringly at her, and Delia wiped away her tears.

"You're right... What was that?" A large crash had shaken the house, and then yelling came from upstairs. Professor Oak sighed, and Delia rushed upstairs. Maybe he would go see if Leaf wanted any pointers on her research, she had always been his favorite...

* * *

Delia ripped open Red's bedroom door, and stood shocked at what she saw. Red was charging at Steven, who was showering his hat with flames, and Blue was wrestling with Mikey, who was soaking him with blasts of water. Delia couldn't even process what was happening...until a blast of water hit her in the face. "Red, Blue, stop!"

Red froze, and Steven stopped spitting flames, allowing the hat to fall to the ground. Heat rolled off it in waves, lie it had just come out of the dryer, but it was otherwise unharmed.

Blue let Mikey up from where he had pinned him, and the blasts of water stopped. Even Mikey knew; Giratina had no wrath like a woman scorned. Or in this case, soaked.

"I sent you two to individuals bedrooms, why are you both in here?" Red opened his mouth to answer, but Delia raised her hand to stop him. "No Red, this is not Blue's fault." Blue snickered. "You are both to blame." Blue stopped snickering. "

"Today is the day you both are suppose to leave, and look at you!" They were both dripping wet, hair a mess, clothes popping with each movement. "Get cleaned up, we will discuss your punishmen-" Red cut her off. "Mom, we have to leave soon! It is almost noon!"

"Then I suggest you hurry up and get changed, so we can talk about your punishment." Delia shot them both a glare, and stormed out. She needed to get changed as well...

* * *

Red showered quickly, replacing his drenched outfit with a white t-shirt, red jacket, black jeans, and white sneakers. He picked his hat up off the counter, admiring it for a moment, before placing it on his head. "Steven, remind me how you did this." Red asked, as he walked out of the bathroom, steam flowing out the door.

Steven looked at him, tilting his head to the side, "Most fire-types can control their fire. If they want you to feel the burn, you will feel it, but if they don't... It leaves no lasting effect, like a dryer." Steven explained, sounding oddly logical.

"Like a Rapidash?" Red was curious, from what Professor Oak had told them, you could only ride Rapidash if it trusted you. "Yup, sir, just like a Rapidash."

Red laughed. Having a pokemon was awesome. "Red, down here! Now." The fore-mentioned trainer shivered. "Arceus, Mom is scary when she is mad..."

Steven gulped. "Agreed." With that, Red bolted down the stairs, Steven waddling behind him. They found blue was already waiting for them, sitting lazily on the couch in a long sleeved purple shirt, black jeans and expensive looking boots. "Preppy bastard..." Red mumbled under his breath, sitting on the arm of the couch. Steven took a seat beside Mikey, neither dared speak.

"I should stop both of your journeys right now, but I won't. Mew knows you both need to experience the real world. However, any money you earn, gets sent back to me. I need the money to fix the mess you two made." Red and Blue glanced at each other, panicked, then back at Delia.

"But Mo-" Red began.

"No buts. You will do it, understood?"

"Yes Mom." Red mumbled.

"Blue?" Delia asked.

Blue was silent. This woman, who had grown up with his parents, who had been the one to tell them they had passed, who had become the mother he needed, was asking for money. Damn right he would give it to her, she deserved a lot more.

"Yes...Mom." Delia was shocked. She had told Blue countless times he could call her mom, but she would never press him. She knew what he was thinking, to call another woman mom was to accept that his parents were really gone.

"Thank you Blue." Blue had done a lot of maturing over the years, she was proud.

* * *

A few hours passed, and the two trainers said their goodbyes. As the sun rose above the clouds, a ray of light washed over Pallet town, and Red swore he saw a large bird out of the corner of his eye.

"Ash, you in there?" Blue lightly rapped the side of Red's head, breaking him from his thoughts.

"What Blue?" Red paused... did he just call Blue...Blue? They hadn't called each other by their real names in years. Blue noticed.

"What's wrong Ash?" Blue looked at Red in concern, something was bothering his friend.

"Gary, nothing will ever be the same, will it? Today we got our pokemon, we're leaving our hometown behind. Did you see Daisy crying as you walked out, or the gleam in Leaf's eye? They are worried about us. And they should be." Red fought back tears, fingering the poke-ball clipped to his belt, that contained Steven. "Reports of Team Rockets crimes are growing. Pokemon battles are getting more serious, pokemon are dying! Who are we to subject pokemon to that? Who are we, two fourteen year old boys, to venture into a world with this many dangers?" Red finished, looking Blue in the eyes. Coal black eyes met emerald green as Red and Blue stared at each other.

"That...was ridiculous! Red, we are fine. We can make a difference!" Blue shook Red, trying to shake him awake, metaphorically. "Listen, lets split up, catch some pokemon, do some training. Meet me by the path to victory road at sundown, and we'll see who trained their pokemon better. Deal?" Blue questioned Red, but his tone left no room for argument.

Red managed a smile. "Deal."

* * *

A/N: And done, next chapters things pick up.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Okay, at the beginning here, I was paranoid and grinded to hell and back. So that is why I sweep everything really. If you don't believe me... I'm not sure how I'll prove it. Anyways...

Pokemon: 1 Deaths: 0

* * *

The clouds had been blown away by the wind, and the harsh sun showed no mercy to those who dared travel beneath it. Red was no exception, stumbling into Viridian city tired, sweaty, and irritated. He had run into several pokemon along the way, Steven dispatching them all with a quick ember. The raven haired trainer had planned to catch a pokemon, only to realize, he had no poke-balls...

So, the very first thing Red did, aside from healing his pokemon and cooling down in the Pokemon Center, was to head to the market. Red pushed open the door, admiring the shop. Several shelves, containing variously colored items filled the room, and Red could heard the hum of a fan coming from somewhere.

"Buy something or get out," a croaky voice grumbled from behind one of the many shelves. Red leaped back in shock, almost running into a pile of boxes.

"S-sorry. I came here to purchase a few poke-balls." Red told the man, who had come into sight. He was an older man, with broad shoulders, piercing blue eyes, and starting black hair. "

"Very well, follow me." The man waved, waling behind the counter, and disappearing as he ducked down. The shop owner stood up, five poke-balls, clipped to what looked to be a trainers belt, gripped in one hand, and a small brown box tucked beneath his arm. "That will be five hundred poke`dollars, please."

Red emptied his pockets, coming up with a few coins, and some lint. "I, uh..."

The man placed the belt, poke-balls attached, onto the counter. "You can have them for free, along with the trainers belt, if you run this parcel to Professor Oak in Pallet Town. It came in several days ago, and I've had no time to deliver it. This is the time of year trainers flock to the league, and stock up items."

"Yeah, I guess it is." Red smiled, taking the belt, adjusting it to fit him properly, then clipping it around his waist. "I promise I'll get this to the Professor, and thanks again." Red picked up the parcel, running out the door quickly. He no longer noticed the sun, or how it blazed down, nor did he feel the mans gaze following him.

* * *

"Mikey, bubble one more time!" A small string of bubbles shot forth from Mikey's mouth, knocking the plump, brown and cream colored bird they were battling back. Blue took a moment to evaluate the Pidgey, from the black mask that surrounded its eyes, to the razor like talons, even the sheen of its coat of feathers. "Mikey, what do you think?"

Mikey crossed his arms, glaring down at the Pidgey, who struggled to get up. "The bird was awfully powerful, been battling for the last five minutes, and the damn thing just went down. It'll do ya fine." Blue nodded his head in agreement, pulling a poke-ball from his bag, and tossing it lightly. It wobbled for a moment, before clicking shut.

With a flourish of his hand, Blue picked up the poke-ball, and released his new partner. "What's your name?" He asked quietly. The Pidgey shook its body, water splashing Blue, who growled, then it raised its head proudly. "My name is Raveni." Raveni began to preen his feathers, leaving Blue to ponder the proper pronunciation of the name.

"Listen up, bird. I rule the roost, I'm da big boss. Got it?" Mikey stepped up to the bird, looking rather intimidating for a Squirtle.

"You listen up, turtle. That kid over there is the boss, apparently, since we're both in his care. Got it?" Raveni pokeed Mikey in the chest with a wing, shooting him a glare, before going back to preening his feathers.

"Why I oughta..." Mikey never got to act on his anger, as Blue, who had been watching wistfully, butted in. "You two calm down. Mikey, you aren't 'da big boss', Raveni," Blue paused. "That is how you pronounce it, right? Raven-eye?" Raveni nodded, finally raising his head to look at Blue. "Good, anyways. Mikey, Raveni, we are equals. No one is the best, no is 'da big boss'. Now we are all going to get along, got it?"

Mikey lowered his head, grumbling. He turned around, shooting a glare over his shoulder, and walked towards Blue. Raveni raised his head, so humans still could surprise him. This one wished to treat them properly, as partners. Not like the others he had seen. 'This might not be so bad' Raveni thought, as he lifted off the ground with several flaps of his wings.

"Now, with that settled, lets see if we can find Red." Blue returned both his pokemon, thanking Mikey for the help, and welcoming Raveni once again.

* * *

Much like Blue, Red was locked in battle with a wild pokemon. With Pallet town visible in the distance, Red was in a frenzy to get there, but the small, purple rat wouldn't stay down.

"Steven, try scratch!"

Steven moved in quickly, left arm drawn back, claws glowing. But the Rattata would have none of that. It leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding the claws, and then lunged.

"Steven, now! Ember!" Red was adapting to this trainer life style quickly, realizing that ember was more powerful than tackle, and more accurate. The rush of watching his pokemon struggle to overcome his foe, the rapid beat of his heart as he commanded his pokemon... It was like getting high, nothing could ever replace the feeling. It was addicting.

Steven puffed up his chest, drawing in air, before releasing a small wisp of flames, which enveloped the Rattata. The rat collapsed, panting, fur singed and blood falling from the cuts along its hide.

Red pulled a potion from his bag, along with a few small blue berries. Quickly spraying down Steven's wounds with the potion, he placed the berries in front of the fallen Rattata. "Ra-ratta..." The Rattata nibbled on them, its energy slowly running back to him.

Steven looked at Red, then launched into a quick disccusion with Rattata, which consisted of growls, squeaks, and several strange motions. "She says she wants to come with us, sir."

Red was taken aback at the 'she' part, but quickly recovered. "Is that true?" Red bent down, looking the purple rat like pokemon in the eye. "Is that true?"

Rattata nodded bravely, bearings it fangs to show it was sure.

"Well than..." Red removed one of the poke-balls off his belt, gently tapping it against Rattata's head. It clicked three times, and fell still. With another quick click of the button, Red's new friend was out of her poke-ball.

"That poke-ball makes you feel safe." Rattata murmured in a distinctly feminine voice.

Red smiled. "Good to hear."

"W-what...you can understand me? But you couldn't a minute ago... What is going on?" Rattata demanded.

The raven haired trainer chuckled. "The poke-balls are more than just a container, they are a link. To my soul, to be precise. Well, that is if you want to go by the old legends. May I ask your name, it would be strange to keep calling you Rattata."

Rattata was taken aback, but being the brave little rat she was, pressed on. "I was never named, family chased me out right after I was born. Too many mouths to feed, I was the toughest of the bunch. Family thought I'd be fine. But, if you want something to call me, I go by MissingNo. I heard a legend once, that is a fearsome creature, unbeatable, and that is what I want to be. And hopefully, you can help me with that."

Red noticed MissingNo.'s voice had deepened, almost as if she was trying to sound like a man. "MissingNo., be yourself around me. Around others, be whatever you want, but around me...please just be yourself."

"But...you're a human, you want strong pokemon..." MissingNo. supplied feebly.

Steven, who had been unnaturally quiet, finally piped up. "Red's not like that, he will train us to be strong. He doesn't care if you're weak, he knows everyone is weak at one point and time. But he also knows anyone holds the potential to be strong. MissingNo., just be yourself."

Red smiled; surprised Steven had such a good opinion of him.

MissingNo. on the other hand, stumbled for what to say. Coming from a fellow pokemon, the words had a lot more power behind them... "Thank you." Was all the rat pokemon managed, her voice light and feminine again. She was glad to have such a great trainer, and such a great friend.

* * *

A/N: Done.

**Red's team (mine)**

_**Boxed Pokemon/Pokemon: 2**_

_**Pokemon Deaths: 0**_

Steven (Charmander): Level 9, Naughty

MissingNo. (Rattata): Level 5, Brave

**Blue's team (Rival)**

_**Boxed Pokemon/Pokemon: 2**_

_**Pokemon Deaths: 0**_

Mikey (Squirtle): Level 9, Adamant

Raveni (Pidgey): Level 4, Sassy


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: So, I've actually almost finished, about to take on the elite four, but Red and Blue are just beginning. So...just read.

Disclaimer: I did not, invent, produce, or sell pokemon merchandise. Hell, I didn't even create the nuzlocke challenge.

* * *

With his pokemon resting inside their balls, Red slowly opened the door to Professor Oak's lab, and walked in. "Professor? I have a package for you!"

Dressed in the usual white lab coat, and red button up shirt that tucked into his dusty trousers, the elder Oak beckoned Red forward. "Yes, yes. From Viridian City, I presume. I was beginning to think they had forgotten my order." He took the parcel from Red, and placed it on the desk.

"Hey, Gramps!" As if on cue, Blue Oak walked in, hands in his pockets, a confident grin on his face. "I got the call from your assistance, didn't know you wanted Ash here to." There was something snide in Blue's voice that Red didn't lie, but he kept it to himself. It was probably a phase, the younger Oak had always had a big head.

"Man Gary, you already look beat. Sure you don't just want to give this journey up?" Red jibed, his voice tinkling with laughter.

"Ah, shut it Ash. And Gramps, I don't have all day." Blue's was talking down to his own grandfather.

Red had only seen him act this cocky once, and he had fixed that. The cure for a bad attitude was a wake up call, and a punch to the jaw worked just fine.

"Well Blue, if you and Red would quit bickering, I could elaborate." Professor Oak turned on his heels, lab coat swishing behind him as he strode toward his work bench.

Both boys sat quietly as he rummaged through several drawers, finally pulling out two small, crimson items. Red almost mistook the item as a box, but soon spotted the yellow arrow, which pointed to a latch. In the top left corner of it was a sky-blue orb, and sketched across the bottom was the word, 'PokéDex'.

"This is a pokédex. A hand held device, it is designed to be like an electronic journal. When you run into a new pokemon, you document your findings in here, using the lens to capture a picture." He paused, placing the the pokédex's on the counter, then looked at the boys. "It has always been my dream to meet and document every pokemon, but in my old age, I leave the task to you two. Please, take these pokédex's, and fulfill my dream." Something in Oak's tone was desperate, pleading, neither of the boys could say no.

"Thank you Red, thank you Blue." Red rubbed the back of his neck, a habit he had developed, and chuckled. "No problem, old man."

"It's fine, Gramps." Blue smirked, crossing his arms. "Sorry to tell you Red, but I'll be done before you ever even catch three pokemon."

"Now, now, boys. Leave the bickering for later, and watch as I show you how to work these pokedex." Professor Oak lifted a pokédex, pulling the latch, and sliding the cover off. "First and foremost, you need to document what you find. Any folklore, rumors, anything. I'll look through your entries, cross reference them with research of my own, and take the most likely bits." Moving along quickly, Oak showed them how to type. "It should be understood, but these buttons are how to enter your messages. Press them, ad the letter will appear on the screen." Professor Oak flipped the pokédex around, showing the lens to the boys. "Angle this at the pokemon you are documenting, and it will scan a picture. I ask you back up any picture with an entry, and vice-versa." Then, he passed the pokédex's out. "Blue, you might notice a button with Red's name on it, and Red you might find one with Blue's on it. Just click that button, type a message, and you Blue, or you Red, will receive the message."

Red's eyes glowed with excitement. "Awesome!" He slid the protector off, hit the button labeled 'Blue', and typed a quick message.

Blue snorted as the message appeared on his screen, and Oak was left stunned as the two walked out, a 'texting war' raging. "Children these days..."

* * *

"Hey, Red another pokemon!" Steven waved his stubby arms frantically, bringing the aforementioned trainers attention to a small Pidgey. It was small and plump, the feathers on the back of its neck and upper body a murky brown,. Its underbelly and neck were cream colored, black markings around its predatory eyes and directly above that a few pale feathers and a brown crest. Small talons dug into the ground, pink beak opening to give the two Rattata in front of it a warning.

"They are ganging up on it Red! Lets help it! Come on! Help it!" Steven frantically ran in circles around the raven-haired trainers legs as he thought of what to do.

"Rat-Rattata!" the two purple mice creatures lunged, sharps fangs ready to rip into the Pidgey.

"Missingno. Quick Attack!" Red's voice echoed above the cries of the Rattata, and MissingNo. flew past Steven, lips drawn back in a feral snarl. Within seconds, both wild Rattata were on the ground, MissingNo. glaring down at them.

"Good job MissingNo., make sure they stay down," MissingNo. nodded her approval of the command, and Red turned to Steven. "Go talk to that Pidgey Steven, ask it what was going on." Steven saluted, rushed over to the Pidgey, and began to talk in growls and caws.

Several minutes later, Steven turned back to Red excitedly. "He says those Rattata stole some berries from a friend of his, and he couldn't let them get away with that, so he chased after them. He says he'd been chasing them for hours before we showed up and they finally stopped. He also says thanks for helping him, and asks if there is anything he could do to repay you."

Red smiled and patted Steven on the head. "Thanks for translating buddy." Then, he turned to the Pidgey. "There is something you could do, but it is dangerous, possibly deadly. You only come if you want to. If you're up for it, I still need team mates. What do you say?"

Steven and the Pidgey began to chatter, and when MissingNo. was sure she had 'disposed' of the Rattata, she joined the conversation. After several moments, MissingNo spoke in her soft and feminine voice. "Conker says he wishes to go, he says he owes us his life."

Red shook his head. "Conker, huh? Well, tell Conker he only comes if he wants to."

MissingNo. turned back, and the chattering began again. Another brief moment passed before Steven piped up. "Conker still wishes to come. He says he heard that a trainer could make him strong."

Red smiled, and pulled a pokeball off his belt. "Well than, Conker, I'd love to have you along." He enlarged the pokeball, and then tossed it. The red sphere bounced off Conker's head, and sucked him into the ball. It wobbled thrice, then fell still. Red picked the ball up, and released Conker.

"'Ey, they said you'd be able to hear me once I was caught. True?" Conker's voice was surprisingly deep for a creature so small, and Red had to admit, he sounded like a hero from one of those really old movies.

"True, I can understand you fine. What do you say we do some training? You all up for it?"

"Yes sir!" Steven called.

"I am ready," MissingNo. whispered.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Conker called out.

Red threw his fist into the air. "Lets get started!"

* * *

**Red's team (mine)**

_**Boxed Pokemon/Pokemon: 3**_

_**Pokemon Deaths: 0**_

Steven (Charmander): Level 11, Naughty

MissingNo. (Rattata): Level 8, Brave

Conker (Pidgey): Level 5, Bold

**Blue's team (Rival)**

_**Boxed Pokemon/Pokemon: 2**_

_**Pokemon Deaths: 0**_

Mikey (Squirtle): Level 11, Adamant

Raveni (Pidgey): Level 10, Sassy


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: For the record: The pokeball forms a sort of bond between trainer and pokemon, allowing them to talk. Others cannot understand any but their pokemon.

* * *

_Beep..._

_Beep..._

_Be-..._

_"We're losing..."_

_"He's..."_

_"Clear!..."_

_"Clear!..."_

_Beep..._

_Beep..._

_"Patient secured... Slash across abdomen...Fatal...Damage permanent..."_

* * *

The first thing Red noticed when he finally came to, was he was laying in bed. The second, was that his stomach hurt. Badly. The kind of gut wrenching, unbearable hurt that brought grown men to their knees. So he did the natural thing, he screamed.

Several people were at his side in an instant. The first was his mother, Delia, her ginger hair sticking up in places, chocolate brown eyes puffy and red rimmed from crying.

Next was Blue, hair disheveled, dark purple bags under his eyes, his once brilliant emerald orbs dull. He had traded his usual clothes for something more practical, a purple t-shirt, blue jeans that faded at the knees, shiny black sneakers, and a chain that dangled half a grimy poke-ball hanging from his neck.

The last to approach was a nurse, pink hair tied in a bun, wearing the standard white uniform.

Red attempted to raise his arm, but it felt like it was made of lead. He glanced over, and retched when he saw all the equipment hooked up to him. For the first time he noticed the mask covering his mouth, pumping fresh oxygen to him The raven haired trainer wondered how he had missed it, as the machine buzzed right in his ear.

A thin tube connected to his wrist, which he noticed was rather dainty, and wondered how long it had been since he ate. The only other thing he saw was a monitor, a green line constantly changing pace, and beeping quietly. "W-wh-..." He gave up, unable to form a full statement.

"Hang on, Frederick, I'll get you a glass of water." The nurse quickly turned to get a cup, leaving a stunned Red.

Blue burst out laughing. "The look on your face, priceless! What's wrong, Frederick? It's been so long since I've heard anyone call you that."

Red shot Blue a venomous glare, and turned to his side as sharp claws poked into his side. Steven was stretched to his full height, struggling to pull himself up to his partner.

Red was horrified at the condition of his first and foremost pokemon. Stevens claws, or what was left of them, were digging into the raven haired trainers side, cut right down to the cuticle. A long scar traveled from the charmanders thigh to his paw, and above his right eye there was a scar in the shape of a bite mark. As if something had been trying to eat him...

Red reached out, helping Steven drag himself into the hospital bed. The trainer and pokemon just sat in silence until the nurse returned with a styrofoam cup of water. Red gulped it down greedily, and after a moment, managed to choke out: "What happened to Steven, or the rest of my pokemon? What happened to me?"

"Nurse Joy, please retrieve the girl waiting in the lobby, and give us a moment of privacy." Blue spoke with unquestionably authority, knowing Red's mother was in no condition to handle this herself. "And Delia... Why don't you go check up on Leaf? Ash'll be fine."

Delia opened her mouth to protest, then closed it. She barely seen her daughter in the last two weeks, because Leaf could not afford to drop everything. She had classes to attend if she wished to become a pokemon researcher, and needed something to distract her from the tragedy that had befallen her brother. She was too young to deal with all of it. "Yes...that sounds good. Blue, thank you."

Blue nodded, and sat down in one of the highly uncomfortable chairs placed in the hospital room. He glanced at Red, who hadn't spoken but once throughout the ordeal. He just sat silently, holding Steven close.

After several moments, the door creaked open, and a girl slid into the room. Blue simply nodded his head, having met her before, but Red could not help but stare. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She was dressed in a tight, creamy yellow shirt that clung to her modest frame, red suspenders stretching from her shoulders and clipping to her too-short-shorts, which showed off long creamy legs and worn red and white converse high tops. Her fiery orange hair was tied into a single side pony tail, and her blue-green eyes wandered nervously to Red.

"Stop drooling, Ash." Blue chuckled. He himself had done something similar when he had first met her.

"I-wasn'-I wasn't drooling." Red quickly tried to recover his pride, changing the subject. "Who is she?"

"'She' is Misty Kasumi, and you'd do well too remember it. I did drag your sorry butt to the hospital." Misty stated, matter-of-factly. "I might not tell you how you ended up like this if you persist in calling me she."

Red was stunned into silence, _'seems to happen a lot lately'_, he thought to himself.

"Don't talk to Red like that." Steven growled, lizard-like tongue flitting out of his mouth, a small burst of flames accompanying it. Misty was left wondering what Steven said.

"Steven...What happened while I was out?" It was time for answers. Red remembered Steven as a kind, crazy little Charmander. Not this sharp tongued lizard.

"Ash, this is going to be a lot to take in. Are you sure you're ready for this? You just woke up, after all." Blue said.

"I'm sure. Now, what exactly happened...? The last thing I remember was realizing I was late for our match, Gary." Red shook his head, pulling Steven closer, and taking another sip of water.

"From what we gather, you ran into a Raticate. Not common to Route 1, as it is extremely rare for a Rattata to get strong enough to evolve." Blue explained slowly, careful to watch Red's reaction.

Red was silent for a moment as he tried to recall the incident, then gave up. "The morphine must be dulling my memory, or something."

"Oh Red, it was horrible. The Raticate was too strong. Me, MissingNo., and Conker tried to protect you, we really did. It was just too strong..." Steven whispered, tears welling in his crimson eyes. "I'm sorry I failed you..."

"You didn't fail me, buddy." Red offered a half smile, then looked at the door. "Go find Nurse Joy, take a rest."

"No, Red, I'm not leaving."

Red could tell by the tone in the pokemon's voice he was dead set on staying, and saw no point in arguing. He looked at Blue, who had fallen silent, letting master and pokemon talk (though he could not understand them,). "Continue, please."

Blue nodded at Misty, "None of us know much, we were hoping you could fill us in. However, Misty was the one who found you, and she can fill you in better than the rest of us."

With one last glance at Blue, the fiery redhead launched into the tale. "When I found you, I was on an errand for my sisters. I had to return something o Professor Oak, and had taken a short cut that I thought only I knew of. I found you in the middle of it, there was so much blood... I didn't even think you were alive, you were covered in so much blood, you should have been dead. Around you several pokemon were battling against a Raticate, and losing. But, no matter how many times they were knocked down, they kept getting back up. I helped you out, and you ended up here."

Red was stunned. He had almost been killed...? He began to converse with Steven.

"Is..is it true?"

"Yes, sir. It's all true. We're sorry we failed..."

"Stop it! You didn't fail!"

"The Raticate almost killed you, it was our job to protect you. We failed at our job."

"You almost died yourself!"

"You warned us before we came along it would be dangerous."

"..."

After several moments of silence, Red tried to change the subject. "When can I start training again?"

Blue looked at him solemnly. "Never."

* * *

A/N: Review if ya feel like it, I like input on what I can improve.


End file.
